Updated
Updated · MUO - MakeUseOf · Jul 18
Linsoul Allegro Mini Delivers 32-bit/384kHz Phone Audio Through USB-C
Updated
Updated · MUO - MakeUseOf · Jul 18

Linsoul Allegro Mini Delivers 32-bit/384kHz Phone Audio Through USB-C

3 articles · Updated · MUO - MakeUseOf · Jul 18

Summary

  • 32-bit/384kHz playback is the Allegro Mini’s headline feature, letting a smartphone send bit-perfect audio over USB-C instead of relying on Bluetooth or Android’s usual resampling path.
  • 16-bit or 24-bit at 48kHz is where Android often downscales high-resolution audio at the system level, making an external USB-C DAC the practical route for unchanged lossless playback.
  • Dual 3.5mm and 4.4mm outputs make the dongle more versatile than a basic adapter, adding support for both single-ended and balanced wired headphones from phones without a headphone jack.
  • 30mW per channel at 32 ohms also gives the accessory enough power to drive harder-to-run headphones that a phone’s built-in DAC or USB-C port may handle poorly.
  • The broader takeaway is that wired listening—not Bluetooth—remains the clearest path to high-fidelity phone audio, with sound-quality gains often secondary to added ports and power.

Insights

Why are phone makers ceding a billion-dollar audio market to external dongles instead of improving their own devices?
Is the wired dongle a necessary step forward for audio quality or a clunky, inconvenient step backward for user experience?